Aspects of the present invention relate to server-implemented collaborative environments through which users exchange information. More specifically, aspects of the present invention relate to selectively controlling the flow of information in a collaborative environment.
In a collaborative environment, members of the environment are able interact with each other through mutual access to a software services. Examples of software services implemented by collaborative environments include email platforms, instant messaging platforms, file sharing platforms, blogging platforms, online meeting platforms, collaborative document editing platforms, calendaring platforms, social networking platforms, and the like.
Collaborative environments often allow one member of the environment to post information to a software service, which then disseminates or otherwise makes the information available to other members of the environment within a network of the posting member. For example, a collaborative environment may implement an email listserv such that any email sent to the listserv is forwarded to all subscribers of that listserv. In another example, a collaborative environment may implement a social network service such that information posted by a user to the social network service is visible to all members of the social network service within the network of that user.
Many collaborative environments rely heavily on the concept of enabling information exchange among a network of trusted contacts. One consequence of this characteristic is the fact that often information posted by a user will be visible to that user's entire network of trusted contacts in the collaborative environment, even if the user would prefer that the information not be immediately available to all members of the user's entire network.